Small Business, Big Impact:

Naperville Family Business Receives $10,000 for Business Expansion and $10,000 for a Community Charity; Celebration Planned for Jan. 18 at Clark's Car Care

Naperville, IL (January 10, 2018) -- Clark's Car Care, the Naperville auto mechanic that is and always has been family-owned, customer-focused, and community-minded, now has 20,000 more affirmations that their way of doing business is the right way.

Synchrony Financial, the east-coast-based financial services company, has awarded Naperville's Clark's Car Care with their 2018 "Working Forward" Small Business Award! This award grants $20,000 in total to Clark's - $10,000 for Clark's to use for their stated business growth, and $10,000 for Clark's to pass on to a local charity that aligns with their own mission and values.

Synchrony's tagline, "What are you working forward to?" provided the impetus for this award, now in its second year. Clark's Car Care is one of ten winners of the 2018 Working Forward Small Business Awards, each receiving $10,000 to grow their businesses and $10,000 to grow their communities.Synchrony Financial's website states, "…we understand the impact that strong, healthy small businesses can have on the communities they serve. We also understand that your community depends on you to support its growth just as much as you depend on it to support yours," and that it strives to help small businesses positively impact their local communities. "As the cornerstone of the communities they serve, small businesses are often asked to support numerous local organizations, schools, groups, civic initiatives and community projects through sponsorships, product or cash donations and volunteerism - all at an expense to the business. The 'better the community' portion of the prize gives the Award winners the unique opportunity to fund or invest in local initiatives that are close to their heart."

With that in mind, Clark's Car Care plans to utilize its $10,000 portion of the award to further its technicians' training, as Clark's now services European and Japanese models in addition to domestics, and grant the other $10,000 portion of the award to Care For Cars, a DuPage-based organization founded in 2012 by John Tartaglione. Mr. Tartaglione hand-selected 4 independent car repair shops that are NAPA Auto Parts suppliers and have a history of community service, and invited them into a partnership with Care For Cars. Care For Cars is a resource for individuals who are struggling to get to their jobs or job interviews due to transportation issues. For many, it's the missing link, but as the only known program of its kind in the U.S., struggles with funding.

"What could be a better match?" poses Matt Weber, co-Owner of Clark's Car Care. "A small, independent, community-supporting business helping a small, independent community charity. The program is successful because of John's effort, NAPA supplying parts at their cost, and Clark's doing the labor at cost. Every car gets a full digital inspection, and Care For Cars trusts Clark's expert opinion on how to handle every repair. It's an honor to support this organization, and to now be able to do so even more."

A celebratory event will occur at Clark's Car Care (440 Industrial Drive, Naperville; 630-527-0967) on the afternoon of January 18. Officials from Synchrony Bank, Cares For Cares, NAPA Auto Parts, and, of course, Clark's Car Care, will be on-hand to answer questions from the media beginning at 3:00pm. The event opens to the public at 4:00pm, in time for refreshments from Belgio's Catering and the presentation of the "big checks."

The event is free and open to the public, however, RSVP is requested to ClarksCarCareNaperville@gmail.com.About Clark's Car Care:Clark's Car Care was founded in 2001 by Matt and Laura Weber. Clark's is still to this day a family business, and they treat all of their customers like a member of the family. It's that personal touch and genuine care for their customers that has made them so well-known and well-respected throughout their 16 years of business, winning the Naperville Jaycees' Distinguished Service award and the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Year award. Clark's technicians work on automobiles, but Clark's overall is in the people business, by making the customers' needs and goals their priority. The customer is truly the most important part of Clark's Car Care. In an industry where consumers are often skeptical, Clark's is proud to continue to live up to their motto: "Service You Swear By… Not At!"

This item was posted by a community contributor. To read more about community contributors, click here.